In lever-action firearms a lever located around the trigger is used to load cartridges into the chamber of the barrel when the lever is worked. Most lever-action firearms are rifles.
The lever moves a bolt rearward in the receiver when rotated downward and forward. As the bolt moves rearward, an extractor pulls a spent cartridge from the chamber and propels the empty cartridge either from the top of the receiver or through a port on the side.
While the bolt moves rearward, a new cartridge is pushed from a magazine by a spring-loaded follower and presented to a carrier assembly that then lifts the new cartridge up in line with the bolt to be chambered when the lever is pulled rearward and upward. The rearward motion of the bolt cocks a hammer and engages a sear in a trigger. This prepares the firearm to fire. Once fired, the cycle can be repeated as the lever is operated by a user until the magazine is emptied of all cartridges.
Magazines on lever-action rifles are typically tubular in shape and are located under the barrel. Magazines are sometimes fed through the buttstock. They can also be box or integral box magazines mounted directly under the action.
U.S. Pat. No. 245,700, issued Aug. 16, 1881 discloses a lever-action rifle comprising a swinging lever operating a pivoted arm connected with and moving a carrier, said swinging lever being also connected with a link which carries a pinion traveling in a stationary rack, which pinion moves the bolt to and fro to carry the cartridge from the carrier into the barrel. The swinging lever is also connected with an arm pivoted to a lock used to secure a vertically-swinging breech-block up firmly against the bolt, the latter being adapted to move the breech-block in both directions. A projecting or pivoted piece on the handle of the swinging lever, which strikes against part of the trigger, adapts the arm to be discharged rapidly by the simple movement of the swinging lever to and fro.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,619, issued Sep. 22, 1992, discloses a rack and pinion system for a lever-action firearm that provides the rack element as a floating gear and includes a cam lever extension of the lever member. The cam lever extension applies rearward force directly to a bolt and compresses a spring between the lever member and the rack element. After the bolt breaks free from locking lugs, force is applied to the rack element by the lever member through the spring to complete the rearward movement of the bolt.
Existing lever-action designs such as the Marlin Model 336 use large clearances between the tang on the end of a lever and a slot in a bolt to lock the bolt. The Marlin Model 336 and other traditional lever-action rifles cock a hammer on opening the lever.
There is a need for a lever-action rifle with a smoother operation than existing lever-action rifles. There is also a need for a lever-action rifle with simpler safety features than in existing lever-action rifles.